Lonely no more
by StoryCurrentlyUntitled
Summary: I said I'd make you fall in love with me when I left. I challenged you. I also said I'd come back to you when you grew up. Well, here I am and here you are. You've found yourself and I've found my father. What is it you have to say now? Amu&Ikuto.


**Well, hello everyone, Untitled here:) This is my first fiction written for this Anime/Manga, as I have only begun to enjoy it just recently. I always start watching something like this right after it , and so I never get to experience the story as it's progressing *sigh***** I really hope you guys enjoy this new piece I have written and I am looking forward to some good reviews. **

**I do not take any FLAMES, because when someone works hard on a story, even if others think it's that bad, they can always just not read it. I do always accept positive feedback, like any other person, I like being praised for my hard work haha:) And construstive criticism is welcome as well, just remember that there is no need to be harsh. You can get your point across to me without being harsh. After all, you never know what you're doing wrong unless someone first points it out to you.**

**I realize that this may be OOC, considering Amu's presonality in the anime and manga, but I figured since he had told her to grow up, I'd have her do just that. After all, everyone changes as they mature. I'm not sure if Ikuto is very different, he's probably just a tiny bit more mature in this than in the actual story, but I felt he remained pretty close to the same. Enjoy everyone! Please review! So the story is a bit depressing, I realized this while editing. But, I usually like deep and emotional plot lines. I added a skit at the end just for some fun, though I'm no comedian so it's probably not that funny, plus I never do skits on my stories, so that was just a trial. Also, there ****is a possible second chapter coming for this as well, so review, don't flame and keep on the look out.**

_Lonely No More_

In the middle of the night, she awakens to a stirring in her bed. Her eyes open groggily at first, not very concerned due to her half-conscious state of mind. 24-year-old Amu Hinamori blinks twice, looking around through blurry eyes. Everything seems to be in order as far as she's concerned, nothing wrong or suspicious. She turns over without noticing the figure in the bed beside her and closes her eyes, wriggling into the blankets and sheets to make herself more comfortable and prepare for sleep once more.

With a slight extension of her leg, she realizes that there is something else in the bed beside her. _Ah, geez…damn cat…he usually gets down when I fall asleep. He knows I'll kick him off the bed._

"Hey cat…you need to get down now…" She pushes at the object again, at once realizing that it is not a cat, but in fact, another person's leg. Her eyes open swiftly to see a young man in the bed beside her, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping peacefully. _Crap…I left the window open to get some cool air! Did some creep come in through the window?_

Amu pushes herself back away from the person and then sits up swiftly, whisking the covers away to reveal a sight she hasn't been granted in quite some time. It's Ikuto, back from where ever he had been the past several years.

"I…Ikuto!"

His eyelids move up to reveal those deep, dark indigo pools. His lips curl upward in a soft grin. "Your reactions are still cute after all, _kid_."

She places her hands on her hips as he sits up as well. _Great, some creep really _did_ come in through the window._ "Adding 'kid' on the end was a little unnecessary, don't you think? I am 24 now…"

His eyes run down over her now much more developed body, noticing her curvier hips, the gentle sloping down her abdomen to the hem of her pajama bottoms, the way she fills out the tight-fitting tank top and the light pink of the bra showing through it. He can remember being taken aback by her character and beauty once or twice but he has never looked at her this way before, though he had long since fallen for the pink haired girl. At that, he had never noticed her _this way_ either. That is, in the way that marks her as a woman, and a desirable one at that.

"What are you staring at, perv?" Her cheeks are a little flushed as the recipient of this attention from Ikuto. She had been looked at and kissed and dated many times since Ikuto had left, but for some reason, this cat-boy is still causing her to lose her footing.

He scoots a little closer, causing Amu so drop her defiant pose and just stare. One arm wraps around her back softly but firmly and the other runs through her silky, medium length pink hair. "Just admiring how you've _grown_."

Her eyes widen and she simply scowls, without freaking out like she used to do and smacks him on the back of the head. "Why is it you feel the need to tease me?"

He backs away smirking playfully at her. "Because it's fun." A simple reply, a _very irritating_ simple reply, like always.

She pushes him away, staring into his eyes. "What are you doing back in town? More importantly…how did you even know where to find me?"

His eyes fall to the blankets. "Well…now teasing you isn't that much fun anymore. You haven't freaked out at all like you used to." He turns away from the girl and lays on his back, his hands behind his head. Still very much the same smart-mouthed, annoying boy he used to be. "And I just looked you up in the phone book. When I got the manager of the apartments on the line, I just asked for Hinamori Amu. It's not so hard to find someone you know. And if that hadn't worked, I would have just gotten in touch with your family."

"I see, kudos. Do you want a cookie for finding me?"

He laughs at her response. "No," Comes his soft reply. "I'd rather eat you as a reward."

She just turns up her nose. "If you want that kind of reward, you'll probably need to check into a motel without me."

"You really aren't easy to tease anymore…boring." He fakes a yawn, making her giggle. Her laugh has gotten cuter as well.

"Well, I have matured since then you know. I'm an adult now…and so are you." She lays down beside him, on her belly and facing in his direction. She certainly hasn't gotten any less blunt. That trait was always something he had liked about her though, he is more than glad to see that aging hasn't taken that away from her.

"That's true." His head turns toward her, a smile playing on his lips. Not a teasing smile, but a genuine, happy smile. He reaches out, running his fingers through her hair once and then pulls back.

"So, how is Tadase? And the others, what about them?" His voice wavers a bit when he mentions the boy's name. It's hard to think he had Amu's heart not so many years ago. Since it was someone that Ikuto had been so close to, he wouldn't dare interfere to the point that it would mess anything up for the little blond boy. And Amu had always liked the kid. They were both very important people. People he couldn't hurt. People he didn't want to hurt.

"Tadase moved away a few months ago." His eyes widen a bit when she says this, though her eyes are on the ceiling and unaware of his piercing gaze as he stares. "Rima, Yaya, Nagihiko and your sister have gone as well. Nagihiko to Europe to study at a prestigious dance academy, Rima is on tour with her comedy group and, last I heard is somewhere near the southeast coast and Yaya is a working as a manager at a daycare a few cities away from here. Utau is on tour…and these are things that you might know if you communicated as much as she does." She sticks her tongue out, making him pout. Then her eyes are soft again, a sad gleam taking away her usual quirky smile.

His eyes widen. He hadn't realized that she'd been all alone for so long. She must be lonely. Without showing too much concern up front, he tries another question. "I know about Utau, she texts me every so often as well. What about Kukai and your family?"

She smiles, now turning back to him. "Mom and dad still live in the same house with Ami, and they are doing great. They check in on me all the time asking how school is going and if I am working hard in my design classes. She's in high school now, an honors student. She's a guardian as well, the Ace chair. Kukai actually still lives around here. We go to the same college and have a few classes together. It's fun!"

As she says this, flashbacks run through his mind of different times since they had met. Times when her eyes would sparkle with delight as she'd speak happily about something or when she'd get pissed at him for teasing her. Those days had ended long ago though, and brought about a new beginning for everyone involved.

"So you got in to design?"

"Yeah, in middle school. I took a graphic arts class and got hooked. I am working on designing web sites and logos for big name companies now. I also decorate cakes, cookies and just about any pastry you can imagine. And my hobbies mostly revolve around sports. I am the captian of the volleyball team." She smiles widely, proud of herself. She really got just a little of every guardian chara in her. The talents had eventually manifested themselves as talents she had on her own, and that's why she no longer needed the guardians. Or at least, that's what he has to assume, as the four really loud little people are not around.

"That's good to hear." With this, he pulls her into a tight embrace, his arms around her slender shoulders. "You must be kinda lonely now though." His eyes gleam in the darkness, a seriousness and reality in them that she can't deny. He's looked at her this way before. It's a look that she just loses all of her resolve to.

Her cheeks redden at the contact, her expression saddening a little. "I do miss everyone."

He grins, moving his head to whisper into her ear. "I'll keep you company…Amu." His mischievous ways just have no end to them.

Her face is now the color of a cherry tomato, her hands also tremble slightly. He chuckles at this. "I see that…" He softly breathes into her hear, making her jerk away a little. "your ears are still _very_ sensitive."

"Jeez, you never quit do you?"

"Nope."

They glance at one another, fiery golden-amber embers meeting cool and icy indigo. She lets out a small gasp as his legs slowly slide over, nudging hers. He just sighs contentedly, a smile playing on his lips. The moment slowly passes and he tries to continue the previous conversation, in other words, the small talk.

"How is school then?" He questions again, and, realizing something, she pulls out of his grasp. His eyes follow her, curiousity evident. For a few agonizingly long moments, nothing is said. Amu stares out her window and into the night and Ikuto stares at her. "What, Amu?"

Slowly she turns back to him, a very alarming mixture of loneliness, fear and sadness playing in her features. He sits bolt upright, reaching out to the girl. "Wait…" She commands in a small voice. "don't."

His eyes are wide as he watches her lip tremble, a pain in his chest that he can't describe as anything other than guilt. What did he do to cause this painful and alarming look on her face? "Amu…"

Her lip quivers while she grasps the covers like they are her only life line, looking directly into Ikuto's eyes. "For how long?"

His hand drops to the blankets, his head cocking to one side in utter confusion. She has this strange habit of not making any sense at all when she really needs to. "What are you talking about?"

"How long are you going to 'keep me company'?" She asks, her eyes filled with unshed tears at her own words. She begins to tremble. _I must look like such a child to him, jeez and he was the one always telling me to grow up. I really need to get it together here._

His eyes widen. "Amu, you were this lonely?"

She nods, not trusting her voice to hold out as she wipes away the tears that have yet to fall. Nothing is said for a few seconds as she attempts to calm herself. He makes no move for her, understanding that she's not ready to be touched yet. She is the first to break the tense silence. "Tadase moved away though he said he would always be with me. It's all his fault!" She slams her fists onto the mattress, still clearly angry. Whatever had happened with Tadase, it must have been pretty bad for her to _still_ be this upset by it.

"One by one, everyone else went away too. Nagihiko, Rima, Yaya, they all moved on and left me alone. They had to so that they could be their true selves, and I had to stay behind to be mine…" She trails off for a moment, once again struck by the need to calm herself before she cries. He watches, pained that Amu had been this upset. All this time she has been suffering and he completely ignored it. He completely missed the fact that she may be feeling this way.

"And Ran, Miki, Su and Dia all disappeared a while back. They knew that I was of the age where I no longer needed guardian spirits, and like that…they were gone." She lowers her head a bit, clearly still saddened at the thought that she had been barred from seeing them anymore.

He can tell she needs a break before she says anymore and so he takes the opportunity to speak up. "I know how that is. Yoru disappeared a few years back as well. But the funny thing about them is...even when you don't see them anymore, they're still a part of you. So, you see them everytime you look at yourself in the mirror, I guess."

She turns to him at the sound of his voice, trying to control herself. "So…how long?"

"Amu," He begins, sitting up against the wall with his elbows on his knees. "It turns out that my dad died about a year before I finally found where he had been living. He had contracted some kind of cancer in his lungs and no matter what they tried, nothing worked. In the end, he requested to leave the hospital and die in his own home…"

She crawls toward him and takes a seat in between his legs, her back against his left knee and her feet lying under his right leg. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I guess we've both been kinda lonely then." He looks at her, his overall expression now matching her own. One of hurt and loneliness. They really had always understood each other's feelings better than anyone else. When she nods at his statement, he smiles softly at her, still looking quite pained. "What happened with Tadase? You can tell me."

Her eyes lower to the logo on his shirt, her neutral expression sinking into a deep set frown. "He…he just left without saying goodbye. I had to hear from a total stranger that he moved. I was so angry and hurt that day. Then, probably a month after that I got a text message from him saying that it would be best if we were just good friends. I…never responded to it," Now her honey eyes move up to meet his once more and she grins, looking utterly pleased with that final part of the story. "I think he got the message: I don't consider us to be much of anything anymore."

Ikuto is scowling. Who knew that Tadase could be so cruel? Why would someone like him do such a thing? "I'm…sorry."

She just shakes her head. "Yeah, well…" She goes back to trying to play it cool now, leaning her head back on his knee. "whatever, nothing will change it now. But you, Mr. Tsukiyomi, still haven't answered my question."

Her eyes latch on to his, demanding a real answer.

He sighs, putting his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. "I don't really plan on going anywhere anytime soon."

Amu just stares blankly, still wondering what that is supposed to mean.

When there is a lack of any response on her part, he peeks open an eye. When he sees the look she's giving him, he can't help but comment on it. "Jeez, you really still are naïve…"

"Hey! Come on, why do you have to be mean now?"

He just chuckles, sweeping her into his arms. "I got a job here working with a school teaching music. I won't be going anywhere Amu." He holds her nicely shaped body against his firm chest.

They can both feel the tension between them. She leans into his body slightly, sighing euphorically. He emits a soft groan at the feeling of her slim body pressing further into him. His eyes clamp shut once more, crumbling in on himself under this feeling. She turns her body in the slightest and he feels her chest brush against his. She giggles at the expression on his face.

His one eye opens to see her still chuckling heartily at his expense. He lets out an exhausted sigh. "You really have grown up a lot since the last time I saw you. Laughing at my torment huh?"

"It's just the first time I've seen you so expressive. It's different, but I really like it…." She leans her head on his shoulder, allowing him some breathing room. "It's nice to know you'll be back in the city. It's very nice." The smile on her face tells him that she isn't teasing. After all, she always had been bad at lying.

He takes a deep breath. It's time now, she isn't a kid any longer. He had been holding back from saying anything for a number of reasons in the past, but now it's time to step up. Since Tadase had gone, she is no longer his enemy and she is no longer a child, there's no reason to hold out. "Amu."

The deep, husky sound of his voice makes her eyes snap open. She moves away from him a little. His expression is making his intentions very clear for the first time since she has known him, but this is something that needs to be said aloud. "What?"

His eyes are deep with emotion, his lips parted slightly. His breathing is a little heavier. "You asked once, a really long time ago if I had anyone I loved. Remember that?"

Her jaw drops slightly as she nods and he takes both of her hands tightly in his own and turns her so that she is facing him completely. "I remember."

His eyes are far away for a moment, as if they're trying to focus on something worlds away from where he and Amu sit. Or maybe like he's looking straight back in time to when that moment actually occurred. The look soon passes and his eyes connect with hers. His expression is determined, yet soft. "I wasn't lying to you…but I couldn't tell you the truth back then either."

Her eyes widen rapidly, twinkling in the moonlight. Her mouth opens slightly just as he moves forward, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. Her whole body tenses.

"I said I'd make you fall in love with me when I left, because I love you. I challenged you. I also said I'd come back to you when you grew up. Well, here I am and here you are. You've found yourself and I've found my father. What is it you have to say now?" His voice is steady, however his eyes look slightly fearful.

There's no reason for her to hesitate now either. He had come all this way to be with her again because his feelings had never changed. And she realized that somewhere along the line a long time ago, her feelings _had _changed. After realizing that Tadase wasn't the kind of person he made himself out to be, and after having dated enough other guys, she had finally realized it. And now, here he is in front of her, the person that she had actually wanted all along. Ikuto Tsukiyomi.

There had been no other choice right from the beginning though had there? He had feelings for her almost from the start, though for a long while wouldn't admit it for the sake of her protection. Her heart raced every time she was near him, much like it is racing at this very moment. Her cheeks would always flush and she would always lose her nerve and get flustered. She had been late in noticing, and very late in acting on it, but…better late than never, right?

His eyes are a picture of curiosity and anxiety. He has wanted this answer for more than just a little while, and it's hard to wait the few moments it's taking her to respond now. It's been years since he confessed to her. How can she torture him like this? Just when he's about to speak up, she answers.

A cute smile graces her features as she looks up at him. Her hand grips tightly to the shirt covering his chest. Slowly, her other hand lifts, and she runs her fingers through his silky, midnight blue hair. Her eyelids lower a little, making her expression even softer. "I love you too," She tells him in a gentle tone. "So we'll call it a draw on that bet."

He nods, pulling her close and kissing her deeply, all the feelings he's been holding back letting loose at once. She kisses back just as readily, not making any secret of her feelings either.

Finally, Ikuto pulls away. "Okay, tomorrow I want to take you out…can you go?"

She nods. "Where are we going?"

"I'll show you when we're there, just wear something cute." He tells her and then lies down, pulling the covers over his body.

As she looks at him preparing to sleep, her cat jumps up into her lap and begins purring immediately. She smiles at the little cat. "Hey Yoru."

Ikuto's peeks one eye open, moving up onto his elbows. "Yoru? You named your cat after my Chara?"

She looks at him and nods. "Yeah, look at him…he looks just like Yoru." She watches as Ikuto's eyes fall on the cat, looking at its golden eyes and dark gray-blue fur. Amu grins. "Well?"

"You're right." The young man extends his arm out, wrapping it around Amu's shoulders and pulling her down beside him. He snuggles close, his legs intertwining with hers, his chest pressed to her back. "Now, let's sleep. You'll need your energy tomorrow."

She just gives in, allowing herself to finally fall back asleep beside the man she loves. Lonely no more.

**_Amu: Wow, I really got mature..._**

**_Ikuto: If you say so._**

**_Amu: *GLARES* You haven't changed at all._**

**_Ikuto: Wanna see how much I haven't changed? *leans close and blows on her ear*_**

**_Amu: You perverted ***! *trying to punch him and failing repeatedly* Hold still you jerk._**

**_Ikuto: Why would anyone just stand still and LET someone hit them? *dodges another swing from Amu*_**

**_Amu: *GROWLING* You are the only child here!_**

**_Ikuto: You are not cute at all._**

**_Untitled: -.- Does this ever stop? You two are noisy._**

**_Amu and Ikuto: Nope, but that's why we're so much fun to watch!_**

**_Untitled: *trying to remain calm as Amu chases Ikuto with a baseball bat in the background* May as well try and do this with some dignity. I don't own Shugo Chara or any of the characters mentioned in this story._**

**_Kukai: Dignity? You're standing here with Ikuto and Amu and trying to be dignified? That's impossible, you're hanging around us now. *winks*_**

**_Untitled: o.0 Where did you even come from? You're not in this story._**

**_Kukai: No idea! *grinning widely and shrugging* _**

**_*Amu is still chasing Ikuto around in the background*_**

**_Untitled: o.0 I'm just going to go now. *walks away*_**

**_I'd like to tahnk all of those who have reviewed so far. I went to bed last night and when I woke up, I already had 2 reviews. By the middle of the day there were three. That's the fastest I've gotten new reviews on any of my stories! I'm glad you have liked this piece, however I will need some more good reviews to write more chapters:P If I work hard then so do my readers haha:) Kidding, but I am serious about getting more reviews though:)_**


End file.
